


Mark The Date

by Morpheus626



Category: The Pacific (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:02:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25057405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morpheus626/pseuds/Morpheus626
Summary: Copy of my summary for this fic from my Tumblr post of it: Prompt: CalendarI was gonna try and type a cute description here, but I’m afraid I’ll give away the plot if I do cuz I’m excited about it. So all I’ll say here is that Eugene and Snafu’s anniversary plays a part in this one! And it wasn’t going to be a multi part thing, but it was getting really long for a one shot, so I tried to find a spot to split it up a bit!
Relationships: Merriell "Snafu" Shelton/Eugene Sledge
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> I have had the rest of the chapters for this fic in progress for...at least a year now. Not sure if I'll ever get them done as this fic got a pretty frosty reception on Tumblr lol, but I figured it couldn't hurt to put up the first part in case I end up getting the rest of it done.

It was the same every year since they’d gotten married. They’d both plan something for the other, and spend the day together, no work or school to get in the way. 

The best part of it was watching Snafu. He attempted something that might have resembled sneakiness, but only vaguely. This year was perhaps his weakest attempt though. 

“Is that a…gazebo?”

Snafu nearly dropped the hammer in his hand as he turned to face Eugene, his eyes wide. “Um. Yes. What’s it matter?”

“Because I don’t recall us deciding to build one, or that you would do it all on your own,” Eugene replied, walking around the half-built structure. “Is this why you said I couldn’t come out here today?” 

“Meant to be a surprise,” Snafu mumbled. 

“Well, I am surprised. And I like it, but let me help you! Or get you water at least, you’ve been out here in this heat for hours,” Eugene scolded. He should have disobeyed and come out sooner to check on him. “We’re both lucky I didn’t come out here to find you passed out on the grass.” 

“I would’ve come in before that,” Snafu sighed.

“Sure, sure,” Eugene replied. “How the hell did you get the concrete slab down? I didn’t even see you bring in any of this?”

“Last few nights when ‘the cats were sneaking out’?” Snafu smiled, wincing slightly as he flopped back against the concrete floor of the structure. 

“I knew that was a lie, but this? In the dark?” Eugene laughed. “I mean, gettin’ it to set would have been a nightmare.”

“It’s worth it,” Snafu replied. “Part of somethin’ bigger, but that’s all I’m gonna say about it.” 

“Really? ‘Cause I know it’s eatin’ at you, to tell me more,” Eugene teased as he sat on the concrete slab. 

“Maybe so. But my lips are sealed,” Snafu’s hand reached up to pull at his shirt, tugging him down. 

“You really wanna do this out here, on this hot fuckin’ concrete?” Eugene murmured as he let himself be pulled down, moving to rest against Snafu, his thigh in between Snafu’s. 

“Really think I’m gonna let heat and sunburn stop me from gettin’ to you?” Snafu asked in reply. 

He was considering exactly what he was going to do to Snafu on the slab when Sid’s voice rang out. 

“Snaf! I got the uh-oh shit, Gene. I mean, I…” 

“I forgot we gave him the spare key,” Eugene sighed as he rolled off and up from Snafu. “What do you have, Sid?” 

Sid looked panicked, his hands hidden behind his back, the package he was trying to hide sticking out from behind him. “Nothin’. Just…Snaf asked me to run an errand for him. S’all.” 

“Is this to do with the bigger surprise you swear you aren’t gonna tell me anythin’ about?” Eugene asked as he watched Snafu bolt up and run to Sid like he was on fire. 

“What? Nah,” Snafu replied. “We gotta go talk for a minute, be right back darlin’!” 

He waited for a moment before following them inside, leaving his shoes near the back door so they wouldn’t hear him as he settled near the wall by the entrance of the sitting room. 

“You’re gonna tell him before the day of, right?” Sid asked. 

“‘Course,” Snafu replied. “But I mean…you think he’ll like this, right? Everyone’s helpin’ out and excited, and I know neither of us planned on ever gettin’ to do it, but…I’m not fuckin’ this up by not tellin’ him right away, am I?” 

“I don’t think so,” Sid replied, and Eugene could hear one of the chairs across from the couch creak as Sid moved in it. “But I know he’s gonna be curious as all hell right about now. Which is why I know he’s probably two feet away, listenin’ in. So lemme help both of you out-” 

Eugene slipped trying to get up and away from the wall as he heard Sid get up and move to the entrance of the room, but he wasn’t fast enough. 

“Hey. So, I know you’re curious. I would be too. But I promise, you’re gonna love what he’s cookin’ up. Gonna be a hell of an anniversary celebration, too. Give him another few days to finish that thing outside, to let me and some other folks finish up some ‘errands’ for him, then you’ll see. Be patient,” Sid smiled down at him. 

“Did you hear me come in or somethin’?” Eugene asked, wishing he wasn’t sprawled out on the floor at that moment. 

“No. Just know you well, buddy. And I’d be curious too, so I can’t blame ya. I’ll be back tomorrow around ten to help with the gazebo, so if you’re gonna…ya know, fuck on it, maybe do it before then? I love you guys, but-” 

“Oh my god, Sid,” Eugene interrupted, covering his face as he blushed and pulled himself back to sit against the wall. 

“See ya later!” Sid chirped happily as he left.

Snafu rounded the wall as the door clicked shut, and went to lock it. He walked back to Eugene, and slumped down beside him against the wall. 

“I could just tell you. Been so damn nervous about this, plannin’ it since our last anniversary,” Snafu said. His hands were shaking. 

Eugene reached over and held onto his hands as tight as he could. “Hey. I’m sure I’ll like whatever it is. I admit, I am…confused, to put it lightly, as to how the gazebo factors in, but-” 

“A wedding,” Snafu interrupted. “I can’t keep a secret from you, you know that. I was plannin’, since we never got one with a bunch of family and friends, and I know it still won’t be legal or whatever, but I thought bein’ back here with all your family and Sid and everyone else you know maybe it would be nice, and…” 

“You planned a wedding for us?” 

Snafu turned to meet his eyes, looking half scared to death. “I mean…I’m tryin’. Don’t really know how it goes. But I know you need someplace to hold it, and our backyard is big enough, nice enough for that. But I wanted somewhere to be the…hell I don’t know what you call it, the center of it all? So that’s why…” 

“The gazebo,” Eugene laughed.

“And I know your favorite color and mine, so that’s our colors. Apparently we needed those, according to Sid and Mary. That’s what Sid was doin’. Pickin’ up decorations and shit,” Snafu sighed. “God, you don’t hate this, do you? I mean, I know this is a big thing to spring on anyone and we’ve technically been married for almost three years, but-” 

“I love it,” Eugene interrupted softly, letting go of Snafu’s hands only to turn and pull him as close as he could, letting Snafu lean down to rest in his lap. “You planned all of this? And kept it quiet this long?” 

“It’s been killin’ me,” Snafu replied shakily. “Sid and Mary have known for awhile, and your parents. Got Burgie and Florence comin’ too. Won’t be a whole lot of folks, though I told your parents to invite anyone they knew would be, y’know…accepting. So no idea how many more that is, they haven’t gotten back to me yet.” 

“When is this planned for, exactly?” Eugene asked, though he was sure he already knew. 

“Day of our anniversary. Wanted to do somethin’ big. Probably settin’ a high standard for the rest of our anniversaries but,” Snafu shrugged. “If we’re stayin’ put here for awhile, then I wanted to do somethin’ showy. Show you off, and how much I love you.” 

He had words to say, but the tears kept getting in the way. He kept his arms tight around Snafu, and for that moment it was so good. Sweet and soft and wonderful-his husband had planned a whole wedding! For him! It was beautiful. 

“Our anniversary is in four days,” Eugene said, wiping away the tears. 

“Yup,” Snafu replied from his lap, his head resting gently and a hand on Eugene’s thigh.

“That’s not a lot of time,” Eugene said. “How much more is there to do? Aside from the the gazebo, I mean.” 

Snafu sat up, wiping tears off of his face. “Um. Not much, really. Sid and your dad have someone bringin’ over extra tables and things the day before, decoratin’ that night I guess. Already had your dad help out by gettin’ a tailor he trusts for our suits. Nothin’ fancy, mind, just black suits that he had on hand in his shop and can fit to us. And he’s coming over…shit he’s coming over tomorrow for fittings.” 

“Hold on. You were gonna have me fitted for a suit and just trust I wouldn’t ask why?” Eugene laughed. 

“Yeah,” Snafu giggled. “Shit, that wouldn’t have worked.” 

“No, no it would not have, but I find it adorable that you were gonna try,” Eugene sighed softly. “What time does the tailor get here?” 

“Hold on, I know this, I did actually write it down, shockin’ though that may be,” Snafu replied, jumping up and running into the kitchen, returning with a notebook that looked like it had seen hell. 

Snafu flipped through it seemingly at random, finally settling on a page. “He gets in at…eurgh. Seven in the fuckin’ morning. That’s what I get for lettin’ your dad set up that appointment, but he knows the guy, so not like I was gonna argue.” 

“Too bad,” Eugene sighed, standing up and trying to sneak a peek at the notebook. “Was gonna find a way to thank you for all of this.”

Snafu snapped the notebook shut and smiled. “Let some of it be a surprise yet. And what exactly did you have in mind for me?” 

“Somethin’ that means neither of us would be able to be out of bed before seven, that’s for damn sure,” Eugene said, letting his hands take hold of Snafu’s waist to pull him close. “Don’t know if I can wait until our honeymoon for it though.” 

“Only four days away,” Snafu said, leaning in to kiss him and nip at his lips. “You really can’t resist me for that long?” 

“You keep this up and I won’t make it five more minutes,” Eugene replied, his hands already undoing the front of Snafu’s pants. “Think you can still get up early if I keep you up for a bit?” 

“Somethin’s up already, you really think I’m gonna say no?” Snafu replied before letting the notebook drop to the floor as his hands moved to toy at the nape of Eugene’s neck, and he kissed him hard enough to move them both forward. 

It was a race upstairs, after retrieving the notebook and turning off the lights downstairs, much to Snafu’s frustration (”Too many goddamn lights, I’m dyin’ over here but we’ve got to turn all this shit off, for fuck’s sake.”) 

A few of the cats had taken up residence on their bed, but hopped off as if on cue as soon as they walked in. 

“Thanks for lettin’ us borrow the room,” Snafu said dryly as they trotted down the hall to the open guest room. 

“You know we don’t really own any of this, they do. They just let us live here,” Eugene laughed as he tossed his clothes to the floor and jumped onto the bed. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Snafu sighed as he stripped. “Think even your parents know that. They thought they were givin’ the house to us, but no!” 

“Get over here before the furry landlords get back in here and try and steal the bed again,” Eugene said, patting the bed. 

Snafu dropped onto the bed with a happy sigh. 

“You’re the settin’ the alarm so we actually get up, right?” Eugene asked as he let his hands trail along Snafu’s torso to his hip. 

Snafu rolled his eyes, but turned and set the alarm clock on the beside table. “Better?” 

Eugene nodded. “You’re gonna be too busy with me to do it later.” 

Snafu chuckled and smiled, stretching out and leaning against him. “That a promise?” 

Eugene replied with his lips against Snafu’s neck, his chest, working to elicit the moans and whimpers that he loved to hear. 

And for the first fifteen minutes or so, that’s what he got, as he nipped and kissed his way down Snafu’s body. As he reached his hip, it registered that the sounds had changed. 

A look up revealed it; Snafu with his eyes shut, lightly snoring. 

Eugene laughed and pressed another kiss to Snafu’s hip before coming back up to rest beside him. “Gazebo building took it out of you, darlin’?” 

Snafu’s only response was to snuggle close to him as he pulled him near, so Snafu’s head came to rest against his chest.

“I’ll be patient then,” Eugene said as he played with Snafu’s hair. “Honeymoon night though? We aren’t gonna sleep at all.” 

He slept hard that night though, with Snafu warm against him.


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I literally forgot I had published a second chapter for this on Tumblr until I ran across it tonight! So, the second little bit of this fic, finally!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to note their wedding colors as well; used this website to get to them because I needed to be as picky as possible and play with colors: https://coolors.co/. 
> 
> Specific hex codes are: F6E27F and A9B18F!

He was sleeping hard enough that he only just registered the sound of knocking on the front door, and the persistent ringing of the doorbell.

He shot out of bed. “Snafu! Get up, he’s here!”

Snafu raised his head, one eye still closed. “Mhm? Who?”

“The tailor?”

The closed eye shot open, and he groaned. “Fuck. I haven’t showered, and I have to, I am disgusting.”

“I got this. You shower quick, I’ll let him in, get him sat down with some coffee, then when you come down, I run up here and shower,” Eugene said as he pulled on a T-shirt and the first pair of slacks he could find, a belt looped through whichever loops he could actually find as he rushed.

Snafu was out of bed and in the shower before he even made it out of the bedroom, half slipping down the stairs as he ran down them.

“Hi, Mr…” Eugene panted as he opened the door, and held a hand out to shake.

“Taylor,” the tailor replied tersely, a hand reaching up to smooth his already perfect grey hair, styled carefully to one side. “Our appointment was for seven sharp. It is now ten minutes past.”

“My apologies. We slept through our alarm clock,” Eugene replied, nervously pulling his hand back as Mr. Taylor walked past him and into the house like he owned it, his dress shoes clacking on the floor.

“Taylor. That’s a heck of a last name, considering…y’know,” Eugene tried again as Mr. Taylor settled himself in a chair in the sitting room, smoothing non-existent wrinkles from his suit.

“So I’ve been told. Did the coffee sleep through its alarm as well?” Mr. Taylor asked, setting his leather bag by his feet.

“Of course not, give me just a moment,” Eugene replied. He didn’t remember this man for the life of him, and wondered how on earth his father knew him. Or why he’d want to spend time with someone so…strangely rude.

“Okay, your turn,” Snafu was behind him suddenly, skidding into the kitchen, his shirt buttoned incorrectly.

“I’ve got to take him his coffee first,” Eugene replied calmly, gesturing to the bag of coffee grounds he’d only just pulled from the cupboard.

“I can do it, you go,” Snafu said.

“Fix your shirt first,” Eugene laughed, and continued to make the coffee, watching as Snafu looked down, and sighed.

“Didn’t even notice. How is this guy anyway? Your dad said he’s…different.”

“Different is one way to put it. My mother would say rude, I think,” Eugene replied.

“Great,” Snafu muttered sarcastically as he finished rebuttoning his shirt and took over the coffee. “So I should be prepared to bite my tongue?”

“Think we’ll both be doin’ that,” Eugene said as he kissed his cheek and left to run to the shower.

It was a quick one, but any time away from their guest made him feel unsettled. What weird things might he be saying to Snafu? Had he gotten upset all together and just left, ready to call his father and condemn them both as terrible to work with?

He could hear Snafu and Mr. Taylor talking as he jogged back downstairs, his hair still slightly damp even though he’d done his best to dry it as much as possible.

The sight of them was more to take in. Snafu was standing in the sitting room half naked, looking mildly panicked with Mr. Taylor crouched between his spread legs with a tape measure, muttering to himself.

“Eugene! So glad you’re back! I promised Mr. Taylor here you wouldn’t be long,” Snafu was over-enunciating, as best he could with his accent, clearly looking to escape.

“And yet long he was,” Mr. Taylor remarked dryly as he stood up. “Off with your shirt. I take measurements from what you’re wearing, as well as of the body. Pants we’ll do after. And I presume you have swatch samples for me as well?”

Eugene tried to process everything as quickly as he could, but it was a struggle. “We…Mr. Taylor, can I be honest with you?”

“I should hope you would be, or we’d be wasting your time and mine,” Mr. Taylor replied as he jotted notes down in a notebook set on the coffee table, and motioned for Snafu to sit.

“We haven’t done anything like this, really. I mean, we’ve both been fitted for things, but not…wedding things. And this was meant to be an anniversary surprise, so I just found out about it yesterday,” Eugene laughed, hoping Mr. Taylor would as well.

He didn’t.

“Um. So I hope you can bear with us, during this appointment. For the things we don’t know, or don’t expect. Like the swatches, I don’t know if we-”

“We do have those,” Snafu interrupted. “Mary brought them to me a few days ago, at work. She’s a lifesaver.”

“Indeed,” Mr. Taylor replied. “Are you going to bring them to me, or shall I hunt for them myself?”

Snafu snapped up and ran out of the room like he was on fire, flashing Eugene a frightened glance as he left. 

“Mr. Taylor, if we’ve somehow offended you, then I am very sorry. And I know, we’re green at all of this and it must be irritating to deal with, and-” 

Mr. Taylor held up a hand to interrupt him, and motioned to one of the chairs. 

Eugene sat, and started to unbutton his shirt as Mr. Taylor motioned at the buttons. 

“Young man, the only irritating thing to me is that your father didn’t reach out sooner to me. By his own words, your husband had asked him to call me months ago, but he’d forgotten until your mother reminded him. That is why I am here at such an ungodly hour, so terribly close to your wedding, when really I should only need to come around for a last minute check of the fit by this point. Other tailors might do it differently, but by god I have my method and it works,” Mr. Taylor replied as he pulled a pipe from his bag, sorted it, and lit it. “You both deserve something fantastic, not last minute. So I’m going to do the best I can, but never fear, my best is incredibly good. Did my own wedding, actually. John and I were quite a picture together, if I do say so myself.” 

It took a moment to process, but once it clicked it hit like a hammer. “My father-” 

“Was one of the few people at my wedding,” Mr. Taylor interrupted. “Tried to get him to be a groomsman, but he feared he’d be called away by a patient and didn’t want to leave me hanging.” 

Eugene nodded as he pulled his shirt off, making a mental note to ask his father about Mr.Taylor later. 

Snafu jogged back into the room, and handed the swatches over without a word, sitting only when Mr. Taylor motioned him towards a chair. 

“Alright. I can work with this,” he said, looking over the yellow and green swatches. “A bit muted, but that’s sensible enough. After all, you’ve been married how long?” 

“Three years, in three more days,” Snafu replied quickly, a hand reaching out for Eugene’s. 

Mr. Taylor only smiled as he set the swatches aside, set his pipe on the coffee table, and stood. “Up with you, Eugene. I’ve already humiliated Merriell with the process, your turn now.” 

It was humiliating, if only because Mr. Taylor was rather rough. He moved limbs and prodded and measured as if he was measuring furniture, not a person. But he seemed to relax as they finished and sat again, watching them both with softened eyes. 

“So. I don’t mean to pry, but I do love weddings. How’s the rest of it going?” 

“Sn-Merriell’s done the majority of the planning,” Eugene replied. “But it seems, well.” 

Snafu nodded, his hand having returned to Eugene’s as soon as he was sat back down beside him. “Got decorations and all that ready for the backyard, comin’ in a few days. Gonna finish the gazebo later today, hopefully.” 

Mr. Taylor nodded. “And vows?” 

Snafu turned to Eugene, and shrugged. “Um. The usual ones, I suppose.” 

“Oh boys, that won’t do,” Mr. Taylor tsked. “You mean to tell me neither of you has even tried writing your own vows?” 

“I’d like to stress I’ve only known about this for half a day, so,” Eugene interjected. He hadn’t even considered vows. 

“Maybe so,” Mr. Taylor replied. “But I’d bet you’ve thought about all the ways you love him and would want to tell him over and over again, in a thousand different words.” 

Eugene nodded and squeezed Snafu’s hand. “That’s true.” 

“Then there are your vows!” Mr. Taylor chirped. “Just narrow it down to a few big statements, keep it clean for the family, and for god’s sake do not set it to music. The ones that do are almost always the ones who shouldn’t; that’s not me trying to insult either of you, I’m just being honest.” 

Snafu giggled, and the tension broke a bit more. 

“Are you that type? Romeo with a lute, underneath Mercutio’s window?” Mr. Taylor giggled right back. 

“Nah, nah. Unless he asked me,” Snafu replied. 

“You’d write a song for me if I asked you?” Eugene smiled. The thought was an interesting one. Snafu didn’t have a bad voice, but he pondered what he’d write. 

“Do a lot of things for you if you asked me, darlin’,” Snafu said. 

Mr. Taylor _squealed_ , and they both jumped. 

“You two are so sweet; I cannot handle it,” he continued. “It’ll be close, but I promise I will have everything done by the morning of the wedding. I’ll come by, make sure you’re all fitted right, then-” 

“Stay?” Eugene asked. “I mean, if you don’t have other work to attend to. We’d love to have you as a guest at the wedding.” 

Mr. Taylor was glowing. “And I would be honored to be there. That’s the plan then! I can’t wait!” 

He’d gone from the rudest stranger Eugene had ever hated having in the house, to someone he wanted to invite to stay for dinner (if nothing else, he pondered what stories of his father he might have.) But he left after a few more bits of conversation about the colors and pocket squares and bow ties, and the house seemed alarmingly empty then. 

“Vows…” Snafu murmured as he meandered outside, stripping off his shirt as he retrieved his toolbox from its place by the back door. 

“Are we allowed to show them to each other, you think? Once we’ve got them all written, I mean,” Eugene asked as he followed him outside. 

Snafu shrugged. “Probably not, but I don’t see why we couldn’t. Gotta make sure you include a passage about how amazing my cock is.” 

“You remember he said to keep it clean?” 

Snafu shrugged again. “Can have clean or honest, not both.” 

“I think I can manage both,” Eugene chuckled. “You really wanna talk about my cock while my parents are sitting there, watching us?” 

“Good point,” Snafu replied as he started to work. “You go on in, ‘fore the sun comes up high and burns ya. You can get to writin’ your vows and I’ll start back up on this. Hope Sid gets here soon.” 

“I’m sure he won’t be long,” Eugene said. “Be careful, okay? Call for me if you need help before he gets here. Can’t marry you if you’re in the hospital.” 

“You would anyway,” Snafu smiled. “Bet I coulda proposed in a foxhole, and you would have said yes. Not sure who coulda married us…” 

His smile fell a bit. “Maybe Ack Ack. Think he would have come, if we’d invited him to this and he was…” 

Eugene nodded, trying to ignore the lump in his throat. “Yeah. I think he would have.” 

Snafu nodded quickly, and Eugene left him to it. He didn’t need to look to know Snafu was fighting off that same urge, to sit and dwell on the thought of all the people they wanted to invite, but couldn’t. The full set of groomsmen they could have had, loud and boisterous and happy to celebrate with them. 

He did his best to move those thoughts to the side as he sat down in the study with a pen and paper. Vows couldn’t be that hard. He told Snafu how much and why he loved him all the time. All he had to do was write that out. Easy as pie. Hell, by the time Snafu and Sid were back inside for the night, he could have them done, and by god, he would! This was the one part of wedding planning that would be simple.


End file.
